Slow Burn (Updated Weekly)

Part 24

Part 24

    Jake's death meant shit. Inertial dampeners kicked in. We could hear them screeching just outside the cabin. The sound pierced my ears like nails against a chalkboard. I had to focus. I had so little time to fix the thrust assembly and stop us from spinning out of control. When I finally managed to pull my weight we already dropped out of the sky. We had started to free fall. The pilot did his best to pull us up but we continued on a crash course downward gliding over the colony below and into the jungle that surrounded us. Thirty of us made it out alive.

    "We have to wait for a rescue," said the pilot, "I have activated a distress beacon and they should come for us shortly. Getting a ship and coming to find us should be a cakewalk for the pilots on this planet." Other passengers began to panic. Already they had been held hostage, witnessed a gunfight and now crash landed on some alien world we knew little about. Shit got real. The pilot was doing his best to calm everyone but nothing he said or did helped. They stared at me. Most all of them saw what I had done. They were looking to me for advice to lead them.

    I had grown tired of being a leader. I hadn't led anyone since Squad 13 and I gave that up when Kal died. Half the reason I was here was because I was hoping to make a clean escape, earn some money and retire far away from people. I wasn't like them. Not a single one. I didn't belong here and I sure as shit had no idea what to say to calm anyone down.

    "Listen to the Captain, the pilot has activated an emergency beacon and help will arrive soon, all we have to do is sit tight. Maybe there is some liquor left in the fridge," I said smiling at the end hoping to brighten everyone's day.

    "A bottle of wine and whiskey," said one of the passengers near the refrigeration unit.

    "Pour me one," I said pointing towards the whiskey.

    "You look like you are barely old enough to drink," said the pilot.

    "I just killed how many people and you are questioning my age?" I said in response.

    He whispered, "only trying to compliment you."

    I smiled at him pointed my finger at the passenger pouring me a glass and jokingly flipped my finger up in the air as if I was firing a pretend pistol.

    The passenger flinched nearly dropping the bottle he had been holding.

    They were all still staring at me.

    They were afraid. And God knows they should be.

"Kill them all," the voice whispered through static into my ear. Miguel's hissing had returned.

    "I can't!" I shouted.

    Already I had given up my chance to save myself for these people. I wasn't about to just give in and kill them. I had sacrificed too much.

    "Sure you can sweetie, it's easy, the pilot has a gun, grab it, one two three fire, one two three, if you make every round count you won't have too even use your hands," Miguel laughed.

    Everyone was staring at me. I felt like an animal in a zoo. A wild lion and they were watching me wondering when I was going to roar. The worst part was that I wanted to do it. I wanted to kill them all. I wanted to make them stop staring at me. Stop looking at me for leadership. I wasn't their leader. I wasn't in charge. The pilot was. He was the captain of the ship before it went down and he was the one with the highest authority among us.

    "We have a transmission coming in from the colony!" said the Pilot.

    "Read it aloud, how long till rescue arrives!" shouted a passenger.

    "Four hours, they have to refuel one of their bigger ships to come out to us since we are such a large crowd," the Pilot smiled. I'm sure he was patting himself on the back. Most all of the passengers that boarded had survived with the exception of a few that hit their heads too hard during our landing and the terrorists.

   

"You have four hours Elyse, don't let me down," Miguel whispered.